17 August 2026 | Yitirrti Project, Pilbara, Western Australia
Develop Global has awarded GR Engineering Services a $275 million engineering, procurement and construction contract for the processing plant at its Yitirrti copper-zinc project in Western Australia’s Pilbara.
The contract covers a 1.5-million-tonne-a-year plant designed to produce separate copper-silver and zinc concentrates. It is a major execution milestone for a development formerly known as Sulphur Springs.
Construction program advances
Develop said access-road and earthworks activities are well advanced, underground development is ahead of schedule and long-lead items have been secured. The processing contract formalises delivery of the site’s central production facility as the wider project moves through construction.
Total estimated capital for Yitirrti is $450 million. Develop said the project is supported by a US$400 million, approximately A$570 million, Trafigura debt facility, company cash of $123 million at 30 June 2026 and operating cash flows. Trafigura also has offtake agreements for the project’s concentrates.
Why it matters
A fixed project package of this scale is a clear signal of activity across engineering, construction, commissioning and future plant operations. The award is likely to underpin workforce planning for process plant delivery, mechanical and electrical disciplines, project controls, commissioning and operational readiness, although Develop did not announce specific vacancies.
The project also broadens mining and processing activity in the Pilbara beyond the region’s dominant iron ore sector. Develop reported project economics including a 37% internal rate of return and a 23-month payback period; those figures are company estimates and remain subject to execution, ramp-up and market assumptions.
Next steps
GR Engineering Services will progress detailed engineering, procurement and construction of the plant while Develop continues underground and site infrastructure work.
First concentrate production is targeted for the June quarter of 2028. Key milestones will include equipment delivery, civil and structural progress, plant commissioning and integration with the underground mine schedule.
Source: Develop Global Limited, “GR Engineering awarded contract to build Yitirrti processing plant”, 17 August 2026.